Although some firearm users are ambidextrous and can efficiently and accurately operate right or left handed firearms, it is readily appreciated that many firearms are provided in right-hand and left-hand models. The respective hand nomenclature is used to designate use of the firearm by the respective dominant hand of the shooter being associated with the trigger and/or stock. Such a designation allows use of the shooters dominant eye for sighting and positions the controls associated with operation of the firearm, such as safeties, magazine catches, bolt catches and casing discharge openings for comfortable interaction and operation by the shooter. Providing firearms in right and left hand model constructions increases manufacturing costs and requires attention by consumers to a firearm having the appropriate or desired right handed or left handed construction.
In an effort to improve manufacturing efficiencies and provide more uniform product platforms, some manufacturers provide what have been termed ambidextrously operable firearms but some such firearms fail to adequately consider the orientation of the shooter and the shooters hands to the both the firearm and each of the controls associated with sustained operation of the firearm. Such considerations are more endemic in rifle configuration and particularly semi or fully automatic firearms wherein maintaining a visual target acquisition is commonly preferred or desired even during interaction with one or more of the controls associated with operation of the underlying firearm. In repeat fire rifle configurations, such controls can commonly include a safety selector, a bolt catch or release, a magazine catch or release, and operation of a charging handle to maintain a desired ready to discharge configuration of the underlying firearm.
As is commonly appreciated, the safety selector is commonly associated with a live position wherein discharge of the firearm is possible with subsequent actuation of the trigger and a safe condition wherein operation of the trigger is disabled or otherwise interfered with such that the trigger cannot be actuated even if a round is present in the chamber. The magazine catch or release secures a magazine relative to the receiver and is operable such that actuation of the magazine catch allows removal of a magazine from the firearm and subsequent engagement of a replacement or reloaded magazine with the receiver.
The bolt catch or bolt release cooperates with the bolt and leaves the action open upon discharge of a last round such that, actuation of the bolt release closes the action in a manner wherein movement of the bolt into battery introduces a subsequent round of ammunition to the chamber from a replacement magazine. The charging handle cooperates with the bolt and allows the shooter to manually manipulate the position of the bolt for an open position to a battery position for activities such as cocking the hammer or firing pin, discharging an unspent or misfired cartridge, inspection of the bore, chamber or action, clearing a stoppage such as a jam or miss feed, and allows the action to be closed while simultaneous introducing a subsequent round.
Interaction with one or more of the control functions described above can be rendered physically awkward or difficult depending on the orientation of the control relative to the dominant hand of the shooter. Many self asserted ambidextrously operable firearm assemblies fail to include ambidextrous controls for each of the operational structures of the firearm such that, during some instances, the shooter must attain a somewhat awkward position to interact with the respective control arrangement or even fully dissociate the firearm from a firing position to attain an orientation wherein the shooter can interact with the respective control arrangement. Such problems are exacerbated in instances of firearms configured primarily for right handed or left handed shooters and operated by the other of a right handed or left handed shooter.
Another concern associated with providing ambidextrous control of a firearm is associated with reducing the potential for inadvertent actuation of any given control arrangement. That is to say, some ambidextrously operable firearm control arrangements are provided in configurations wherein very limited deviation from a prescribed shooting position can result in inadvertent operation of one or more of the controls provided to accommodate shooters of the other dexterity. Such concerns can be exacerbated during combat situations where such undesired or unintentional interaction with one or more of the control arrangements configured for shooters of the alternate dexterity can have serious consequences to the efficacy of a present shooter.
Therefore, there is a need for a firearm that is constructed to be operated by right handed or left handed shooters and which provides ambidextrous interaction with each of the controls associated with operation of the firearm and does so in a manner that provides an orientation of the respective control inputs such that the respective “right hand” firearm controls do not interfere with or be inadvertently operable by left handed shooters, and vice versa.